Process for treating petroleum emulsions



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PGIESS FOR ZEJREATING PETROLEUM EMULBIONS.

We brewing.

This invention relates to the treatment of emulsions of mineral oil and water, such as petroleum emulsions, for the purpose of separating the oil from the water.

Petroleum emulsions are of the water-inoil type and consist of oil constituting the continuous phase of the emulsion, droplets of water distributed throughout the body of oil and constituting the dispersed phase of the emulsion and films of matter that encase the droplets of water. They are obtained from producing wells and from the bottom of oil storage tanks and are commonly referred to as cut oil, roily oil, emulsified oil andbottom settlings. The object of my present invention is to provide a novel and inexpensive process for separating emulsions of the characterareferred to into their component parts of oil and water or brine.

Briefly described, my process consists in subjecting a petroleum emulsion to the actionoi a treating agent consisting of a polycyclic, sulphonic acid or the salt or ester thereof in such a'manner that the emulsion will break and se arate into its component parts of oil an water or -brinewhen the emulsion is permitted to remain in a quiescent state after treatment.

Poly-cyclic, sulphonic acids capable of use with my rocess are obtained by introducing a sulphonic group or groups into a polycyclic body, such as an aromatic body con taining two or more adjacent rin s. 'The parent materials from which po y-cyclic compounds are obtained are naphthalene, anthracene and naphthacene, and the agent canbe produced by the action of a sulphonating agent on naphthalene and anthracene. l'he agent can also be produced by the action of a sulphonating a cut on the derivatives of said materials, suc as naphthol, hydrogenated naphthalene" tetralin, halogenated naphthalene; c ore-naphthalene and chloro-anthracene. Due to the corrosive properties of the sulphonic acids themselves, I prefer to use the salts or esters of such acids in practisin my process.

Various methods can be employed for producing or obtaining poly-cyclic, sulphonic acids suitable for use with my process, such as subjecting the poly-cyclic, aromatic material to theaction of a sulphonating agent, .such as sulphuric acid of various strengths; fuming sulphuric acid of various strengths;

, Application filed Uctober 7, 1925. Serial No. 61,134.

.chloro-sulphonic acid; sulphur tri-oride and ployed; by the time of contact and so forth.-

The salts of such acids are obtained by direct reaction of the acid material with suitable hydrates, such as sodium, potassium, ammonium, calcium, magnesium, iron and so forth. Sodium, potassium and ammonium hydrates produce water soluble salts. The esters of such acids are obtained by the usual method of submitting the sulphonic acid .to reaction with an alcohol or hydroxylated body in the presence of a dehydratmg agent In practising my process a treating agent consistin of a poly-cyclic sulphonic acid or the sa t or ester thereof, is brought into contact with the emulsion either by introducing. the treating agent into a well in which a petroleum emulsion is being produced; introducing the treating agent into a conduit through which a petroleum emulsion is flowing; introducing the treating agent into a tank in which a petroleum emulsion is stored; or introducing the treating agent into a container that holds a sludge obtained from the bottom of an 'oil storage tank. The treating agent can even be introduced into a producing well in such a way that it will become mixed with water and 'oil that is emerging from the ground before said water and oil enter the barrel of the well ump or the tubing up through which said water and oil flow to the surface of the ground. After treatment the emulsion is allowed to stand in a quiescent state at a suitable temperature so as to permit the water or brine'to separate from the oil,

or it may be .assed through a variety of apparatus, sucgas hay tanks, gun barrels, etc. such as are now commonly used in the operation of breaking petroleum emulsions. lit may even be passed through a centrifugal or electrical dehydrator.

' Havin thus described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

'1. A. process for treating petroleum emulsions, characterized by subjecting the emulsion to the action of a non-acidic treating agent containing a poly-cyclic, sulphonic group.

2. A'process for treatin petroleum emulsions, characterized by so jecting the emulsion to the action of a treating a ent consisting ofa water soluble salt 0 a polycyclic, sulphonie acid.

3. A process for treating petroleum emul-- EMuLsIoNs.

moawa sions, characterized by subjecting the emulsion to the action of a treating agent consis iiilng of a salt of a naphthalene, sulphonic acl 6. A rocess for treating petroleum emulsions, cl iaracterized by subjecting the emulsion to the action of a treating agent consisting of a water soluble salt of a naphthalene, sulphonic acid.

7. A process for treating petroleum emulsions, characterized by subjecting the emulsion to the action of a treating agent consisting of an alkali salt of a naphthalene, sulphonic acid.

MELVIN DE encore.

PROcEss FOR TREATING PETROLEUM Patent dated August 17, 1926. Disclaimer filed October 8,

1940, by the assignee, Petrolite Corporation, Ltd.

Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1 [Ofiicial Gazette November 5, 1940.]

2, 3, and 4 in said specification. 

